Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.9.18
Āśraya· The supreme shelterŚrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Original Lord
“This Śrī Kṛṣṇa is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of Godhead. He is the first Nārāyaṇa, the supreme enjoyer. But He is moving amongst the descendants of King Vṛṣṇi just like one of us, and He is bewildering us with His self-created energy.”
What the purport teaches
- Vedic knowledge is received through disciplic succession from authorities. Bhīṣmadeva authoritatively identifies Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original Personality of Godhead and the first Nārāyaṇa.
- Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the source of all His plenary expansions and is beyond the material creation. His movement among human beings does not make Him an ordinary person.
- The Lord accepts transcendental loving service and appears in the material world to reestablish His forgotten relationship with living beings. By His mercy, great authorities like Bhīṣma escape bewilderment about Him.
Try this today
Read the translation again slowly, then offer a brief prayer asking for mercy to understand and serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How does accepting Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original Personality of Godhead shape my desire to serve Him?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.